Open QuestionsWu Shicun on why Beijing will not rule out Scarborough Shoal construction
Leading Chinese expert says more fixed facilities could be built in the South China Sea if ‘external forces leave us no choice’
Wu Shicun is the founding president of China’s National Institute for South China Sea Studies and chairman of the Huayang Centre for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance. In this interview, the first in a series about the South China Sea dispute, he discusses ways Beijing can respond to rival claimants.
With Manila intensifying its “transparency” campaign, how does China view the current situation and what challenges does it face?
Manila’s so-called “assertive transparency” initiative operates on its own distinct logic and playbook. [The initiative includes documenting and publicising what Manila calls Chinese grey-zone tactics, such as blockades and the use of water cannons.]